NEW DELHI, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday said no political cause could justify terrorism and that the starting point for any dialogue "must be total and absolute rejection of terrorism."
Speaking at a business summit organized by the Confederation of India Industries in Bangalore city, Blair apparently endorsed India's stand on peace talks with Pakistan by saying that terrorism must end before the start of negotiations.
He said that "only politics, not terror, would solve" the tensions between India and Pakistan.
Calling the Dec. 13 attack on India's parliament an attack on democracy, Blair said, "Terrorism is terrorism wherever it happens and whoever is its victims."
Earlier, Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parmod Mahajan said the western countries had not condemned the parliament attack in a wholehearted manner.
"There can't be one set of rules for me and another set of rules for others," Mahajan said.
"India does not want war with Pakistan or anybody else. We are not a war-mongering country."
"What we really need is peace in our country. People say you have come here to cool us down. We have been cool for the last 50 years," Mahajan said.
Blair is in India on the second leg of his South Asian trip, which comes at a time when both India and Pakistan are engaged in a massive military build-up on their shared border with nuclear capable missiles aimed at each other.
Blair said he plans to talk to Indian and Pakistani leaders to try to ease tensions.
Blair is due to meet Indian leaders Sunday before going to Islamabad on Monday.
